HR: 1340h
AN: SA43A-1095    [Abstracts]
TI: Global statistics of OH layer heights and double layers from SABER limb measurements of OH Meinel emission at 1.6 and 2.0 μm.
AU: * Winick, J R
EM: Jeremy.Winick@hanscom.af.mil
AF: AFRL/VSBYB, 29 Randolph Rd., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Wintersteiner, P P
EM: winters@arcon.com
AF: Arcon Corp., 260 Bear Hill Rd., Waltham, MA 02451 United States
AU: Picard, R H
EM: Richard.Picard@hanscom.af.mil
AF: AFRL/VSBYB, 29 Randolph Rd., Hanscom AFB, MA 01731 United States
AU: Taylor, M J
EM: mtaylor@cc.usu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric and Space Science, Utah St. Univ., 4405 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322 United States
AU: Baker, D
EM: spacegrant@cc.usu.edu
AF: Space Dynamics Laboratory, Utah St. Univ., 1695 N. Research Park Way, N. Logan, UT 84341 United States
AU: Mylnczak, M G
EM: m.g.mlynczak@larc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA/LaRC, 21 Langley Blvd., Hampton, VA 23681 United States
AU: Russell, J M
EM: James.Russell@hamptonu.edu
AF: Hampton Univ., Center for Atmospheric Sciences, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AU: Gordley, L L
EM: larry@gats-inc.com
AF: GATS, Inc., 11864 Cannon Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606 United States
AB: Two of the 10 radiometers on the SABER instrument aboard the TIMED spacecraft measure the limb profiles from the OH Meinel first-overtone bands at 2.0 μm (OH-A) and at 1.6 μm (OH-B). The OH-A band originates from high-lying vibrational states (v=8-9) of the OH ground electronic state, while the OH-B band originates from low-lying vibrational states (v=3-5). These provide limb radiance profiles continuously over a latitude range 53S-82N or 82N-53S, depending upon the phase of the yaw cycle. We have examined important characteristics of the volume emission rate (VER) profiles of these bands that have been obtained by inverting the radiance profiles. In particular, we characterize the global occurrence probabilities of the heights of both layers as a function of latitude, local time and season and note any differences in behavior between the two bands. Although the OH layer is often considered to be a fixed profile with a narrow peak near 87 km, a significant number of the profiles show distinctly different behavior. Melo et al. (JGR, 2000) reported that double-peaked layers were found in UARS/WINDI data 5-25% of the time. SABER also sees double layers at least 10% of the time and observes the peak VER at times below 80 km, altitudes not observed in the WINDI data. We will examine the occurrence statistics of these features and look for correlations with large tidal amplitudes and temperature inversions that are simultaneously measured by SABER. These correlations may hold clues to what dynamical processes could produce such double peaks and anomalously low-altitude peaks.
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0350 Pressure, density, and temperature
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
DE: 3389 Tides and planetary waves
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005